Glasgow Rangers should have their eyes firmly set on kicking on to win the Scottish Premiership title next season after they fell short once again this year.
The Ibrox giants have now failed to win the division in each of the last three campaigns, finishing second behind their local rivals each time, and they must now end that barren run in 2025.
Head of recruitment Nils Koppen has already been hard at work to make changes to the playing squad, with Oscar Cortes joining on a second loan and permanent deals for left-back Jefte and central defender Clinton Nsiala already agreed.
The likes of Bristol City's Tommy Conway, who is currently at the European Championship with Scotland, and Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland have also been linked with moves to Glasgow this month.
It was also recently reported that Scottish giants have struck a €2m (£1.7m) deal to snap up Moroccan centre-forward Hamza Igamane this month, with the striker now waiting to undergo a medical before the transfer can be officially completed.
That does not look to be their end of their business this month, however, as they are also reportedly pursuing a deal to sign a star from the SPFL.
Rangers submit contract offer to sign Scottish star
According to the Daily Record, the Gers are pushing to secure an agreement with central midfielder Connor Barron, who became a free agent at the end of last month.
The report backs up the claim that Igamane is set to join in a £1.7m transfer and adds that the club want to bring in the Scottish dynamo shortly after that move is finalised.
It states that Rangers have put an improved contract offer on the table for the 21-year-old talent, whose deal with Aberdeen expired at the end of May.
The Daily Record adds that Philippe Clement and Koppen are facing a fight to land his signature as they are not the only team interested in signing him.
Hellas Verona, from the Serie A, and English Championship sides Plymouth, Stoke, Cardiff, and Swansea have also submitted offers in an attempt to secure his services ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Barron is now weighing up all of the proposals on the table before making a final decision on his future, and the Gers will be hoping that their improved offer is enough to convince him to make the switch to Ibrox.
The report states that Rangers would then need to agree a fee with Aberdeen if the midfielder agrees to join, as the Dons would be due compensation for bringing him through their academy. If they fail to reach an agreement with the Premiership side then it would go down to a tribunal, which would decide how much they have to pay for him.
Clement could now land two exciting talents who could thrive alongside each other on the pitch by landing Igamane and Barron this summer.
Why Hamza Igamane is an exciting signing
Firstly, the centre-forward has plenty of room left to grow and develop at the age of 21, which means that he can be a long-term signing for the club.
Igamane could be a project player for Clement, as an attacker who can improve with more experience over the years to come, whilst also having the potential to make an immediate impact on the pitch for the Scottish giants.
His form in his native Morocco this season suggests that the quality is there for him to make an impact in the final third if he can quickly adapt to football in Scotland.
Sofascore rating
7.36
Starts
16
Goals
7
Assists
3
Dribbles completed per game
1.9
Dribble success rate
64%
As you can see in the table above, Igamane showcased his ability at the top end of the pitch with ten direct goal contributions in 16 starts – more than one every other start on average.
That came after the talented youngster's return of six goals and one assist in 18 league appearances in the Moroccan top-flight during the 2022/23 campaign.
He is a versatile forward who can play through the middle, out wide, or in an attacking midfield position, and his creative and dribbling qualities, as highlighted in the table above, could make him an interesting option to use in a deeper role behind a starting centre-forward.
Why Connor Barron could thrive alongside Hamza Igamane
If Igamane is deployed in a number ten position, or as a second striker, then Barron could thrive behind him as a box-to-box midfielder for Rangers.
The 21-year-old battler has the advantage of already having experience in the Premiership, with 24 starts in the division this season, which suggests that he could hit the ground running at Ibrox.
Barron already knows what it takes to perform in the Scottish top-flight and his performances during the 2023/24 campaign suggest that the quality is there for him to be an excellent addition to the squad.
Appearances
29
Starts
24
Assists
3
Big chances created
4
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.6
Ball recoveries per game
5.3
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the young talent played regularly in the league and showcased his ability in and out of possession in the middle of the park.
His three assists and four 'big chances' created from a deep-lying midfield position indicate that the 5 foot 9 dynamo likes to play forward and create for his teammates, which could make him a perfect option to play behind Igamane as he could look to find the 21-year-old attacker in dangerous positions on a regular basis.
Barron, who was once hailed as "tenacious" by Belgian scout Niels Liebens, also has the athleticism and defensive awareness to consistently win possession back, as shown by his 5.3 ball recoveries per game, and his 56% duel success rate.
This means that he can excel at breaking up opposition attacks with key interventions and that would then create more opportunities for Rangers in transition, which Igamane could thrive in due to his aforementioned dribbling quality.
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The Morocco U23 international could receive the ball from Barron, after the midfielder wins possession back, and then use his ability to effectively beat his man to open up the pitch and make things happen in the final third.